Students in the Global Village will have the opportunity to interact not only with students from a variety of different national and cultural backgrounds, but also a number of talented faculty and staff members who will help them learn, and guide them on their way to becoming global citizens.

• Dr. Kefa Otiso, Associate Professor of Geography & Director, Global Village, kmotiso@bgsu.edu:

Dr. Otiso is an associate professor of urban, economic, and development geography at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA.  He has a PhD in Geography from the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities). His current research interests are focused on (1) international migration especially African immigration to the US and other western countries, (2) US economic globalization and restructuring, (3) African urbanization and regional economic development, (4) the role of nonprofit organizations in development, and (5) the African local government system.  Some of his research has been funded by the Rockefeller and the MacArthur Foundations and he has conducted fieldwork in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

He is the author of a 2006 book on the Culture and Customs of Uganda (Greenwood Press) and is currently working on a similar volume on Tanzania. 

He is the Associate Editor of the African Geographical Review and the founding president of the Kenya Scholars and Studies Association.  For his contributions to Kenya’s development, the Republic of Kenya recently awarded him one of its highest civilian honors, the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (Second Class).

• Sallee Dildine, Secretary, sdildin@bgsu.edu:

Sallee has worked with students on the BGSU campus for more than 14 years.  Before coming back to her hometown, Global Village’s secretary resided just outside Frankfurt, Germany allowing she and her family to travel extensively throughout Europe.  Her current interests include photography, home restoration, and collecting antiques.  She has a hobby farm that includes horses, poultry, dogs and cats and is currently working to restore their property to an Oak Savanna preserve.

• Lin Chafetz, Resident Assistant:

2007-2008 was Lin’s first year as the resident assistant in Global Village.  She is originally from New York City, but now calls North Ridgeville (near Cleveland) her home.  She is a double major in Russian and International Photojournalism (an independently designed major) and has studied abroad in Russia.  In addition to Russian, she is working on her French skills.  She loves to eat organic food (like organic chocolate!) and has raised many animals as a 4-H member. Think 96 chickens, 9 goats, 12 ducks, 13 turkeys… and the list goes on.